Comparison of baseline characteristics
| Iron supplemented group (n = 32) | Placebo group (n = 30) | |
|---|---|---|
| Results expressed as mean (SD) or number (%). | ||
| *Upper respiratory infection. | ||
| None of the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (p>0.05). | ||
| Maternal characteristics | ||
| Maternal age (y) | 24.6 (2.7) | 23.9 (3.2) |
| Gravida | 1.5 (0.7) | 1.5 (0.7) |
| Vaginal delivery | 29 (90.6) | 25 (83.3) |
| Antenatal | ||
| Haemoglobin estimation (no.) | 7 (21.9) | 7 (23.3) |
| Haemoglobin recorded (g/l) | 109 (9) | 114 (12) |
| Antenatal iron supplementation | ||
| No. | 19 (59.4) | 16 (53.3) |
| Dose (mg/day) | 120 | 120 |
| Started (weeks) | 23 (6.4) | 25 (6.8) |
| Duration (weeks) | 15.8 (6.3) | 13.0 (7.4) |
| Postpartum iron supplementation | 15 (46.9) | 10 (66.6) |
| Iron supplementation at recruitment | 3 (9.3) | 2 (6.6) |
| Maternal haemoglobin (g/l) | 116 (13) | 116 (17) |
| Maternal ferritin (μg/l; geometric mean) | 69.55 (3.49) | 61.87 (3.49) |
| Maternal weight (kg) | 51.8 (4.0) | 50.1 (4.0) |
| Maternal height (cm) | 156.1 (5.6) | 155.1 (6.4) |
| Infant characteristics | ||
| Age (days) | 57.8 (8.6) | 57.0 (8.9) |
| Males (no.) | 15 (46.8) | 17 (56.6) |
| Birth weight (g) [range 1590–2490] | 2269 (174) | 2304 (200) |
| Length (cm) | 47 (1.7) [n = 29] | 47.1 (2.0) [n = 29] |
| Head circumference (cm) | 32.3 (1.0) [n = 30] | 32.2 (0.8) [n = 28] |
| Recruitment weight (grams) | 3788 (617) | 3859 (495) |
| Length (cm) | 51.4 (2.2) | 52 (2.0) |
| Head circumference (cm) | 36.4 (1.5) | 36.1 (1.7) |
| Current morbidity | 1* | 2* |
| Baseline haemoglobin (g/l) | 115 (13) | 117 (12) |
| Serum ferritin (μg/l; geometric mean) | 168.01 (2.04) | 190.76 (2.09) |
| Peripheral smear | ||
| Normocytic normochromic | 26 (81.2) | 26 (86.7) |
| Hypochromic | 6 (18.8) | 4 (13.3) |